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Hello, Sweathearts! It feels good to be writing here again. The last few weeks have been a whirlwind of activity for me–I won my first local title in the Miss America system, an am delighted to represent my community and take my first trip to the Miss New York pageant. When I relaunched Sweatsational, I was not expecting to win a title. My schedule is now going to be a little tighter, but I’m dedicated to making Sweatsational a success! Keep an eye out for more of the usual posts, but also a series related to preparing for the Miss New York lifestyle and fitness in swimsuit competition! I’m not trying to lose weight, but want to build lean muscle tone so that I’m at my best fitness level when I hit the stage.

I hope you enjoy the links I’ve gathered this week. A few are very near and dear to my heart!

MOVE TO END DOMESTIC VIOLENCE – I’m an advocate for empowering teens (and adults!) with the tools they need to say no to domestic violence. I work closely with My Sisters’ Place, a local organization dedicated to providing support (in many ways) to survivors of domestic violence and educating the community. Their newest initiative, Team MSP, allows you to get your sweat on while raising funds to support these needed services.

CULTIVATE GRATITUDE – I discovered 12 Months of Lent through the lululemon blog a few months ago, and I’ve been hooked ever sense! This recent post by blog author Dani features an excellent 60 second stress-buster aimed at fostering contentment.

LOVE A GOOD WORKSHEET? – I used to love worksheets when I was still in school. I know, I’m a nerd. I was extremely happy to see these fabulous worksheets on the Move Nourish Believe blog this week. They are designed to help encourage your positive mindset and help work through any insecurity you may be struggling with. I’ve printed them and will be using this weekend!

Photo from PopSugar

SMALL CHANGE, BIG RESULTS – I’ve only ever used large fitness balls–I’ve never even seen one this small until this week! In my PopSugar Must Have Box for the month of March, I received this small pink fitness ball that I had no idea what to do with. Thankfully, they have a how-to guide online, which I’m sharing here. Have you ever tried a mini fitness ball before? How did you like it?

What links have you been loving this week? Leave a comment here, as I’d love to check out your picks!

*The link to PopSugar Must Have is a referral link, which means if you purchase a box through that link, I will be credited for referring you. You do not have to use that link to purchase 🙂

As usual, I want to help you start the week off with some motivation. Have you ever had a bad day? I’m guessing the answer is yes. I’m even willing to wager that a few of you are having a bad day today—it is Monday, after all. I’ve had my fair share of bad ways. Some have been bad for silly reasons, and I’ve woken up the next day already forgetting the cause of my bad mood the day before. Others have been so bad that they’ve stuck around for awhile. Once we find ourselves stuck in a bad day rut, it can be hard to get out of it. Here are some of my favorite ways to remind myself to find the silver lining in cloud-filled situations.

Sweat it out: Okay, you had to know this one was coming. This is a fitness blog! But while I typically enjoy hitting the gym or a class to get my workout on, when I’m in a bad mood one of my favorite ways to move is an outdoor run. There is something about breathing in the fresh air and taking in my surroundings that helps to calm me down. Even in the winter, I’ll bundle up and take a quick jog around the neighborhood when I need to clear my mind.

Talk about it: When I’m frustrated, it is so easy to shut myself away from the rest of the world. I want to be angry, and I want to be angry by myself…because if I talk to someone, chances are they’re going to help me see the good in a bad situation. They’re going to encourage me to keep my chin up and move forward. And even when all I want to do is curl up into an angry ball and throw a pity party for myself, I force myself to talk through situations with my parents, my sister, my girlfriends, or my boyfriend. Their advice is always spot-on, even when I don’t feel like I’m ready to take it.

Treat yourself: I’m a bit of a shopaholic. I know that I get a little endorphin rush whenever I click the “buy” button on my favorite website. It is a weakness of mine that I have to keep in check, but I budget a certain amount of “fun money” for myself each month. When I’m feeling down, I’ll treat myself to a new book or small gift to bring a smile to my face. I’m not advocating going on huge shopping sprees whenever you’re having a bad day, but a small treat can be a great mood booster.

Eat healthy foods: The struggle is REAL when it comes to pigging out on junk food when I’m feeling sad. But I’ve noticed that giving in doesn’t make me feel better at all after the initial food coma wears off. I typically feel sluggish or sick after eating food that I’m not used to, and end up breaking out a few days later as well. Not worth it! I try to have some go-to healthy comfort foods: freshly brewed tea, smoothies, a savory egg dish, or fruit.

Remind yourself that it’s a bad day, not a bad life: Perspective is one of the most important things that I try to remind myself of. I try to gauge things by the “facebook laugh-o-meter”: If I posted what was making me upset on facebook, would people laugh at me? If the answer is yes, it’s time to put things in perspective. It’s not the end of the world to scuff a pair of shoes. It isn’t going to kill me if I don’t win my next pageant. My life is still an incredible one, and I should transform my negative feelings into positive action: helping those around me whose bad days are far more troubling than my own.

I am so glad to be sharing my first ‘Monday Mantra’ post with you today. One of my favorite blogs is Lorna Jane’s Move Nourish Believe. Their Monday Motivation posts are always so inspirational to me! In my opinion, there is nothing better than starting the week off with a positive mantra. In honor of Valentine’s Day, this week I thought we’d focus on love…specifically, doing all things with love.

Treat yourself with love

Perhaps the most important lesson that anyone can learn is the importance of self-love. It is easy to get wrapped up in our busy lives. Work demands our attention, family members need our support, and concerns need to be addressed. We get so caught up in keeping up that we begin to neglect ourselves. Our plans to eat fresh and healthy foods are replaced with a rushed fast food meal. Our time usually spent practicing yoga and meditation early in the day is full of returning emails instead. We all need to take a deep breath and stop.

Seriously. Just stop. Whatever it is you’re doing. Take a few deep and cleansing breaths. Take five minutes to walk outside and take in some fresh air and the beauty of nature. A little break like this can make all the difference, and gives you the chance to disconnect and recharge.

Then, take it a step further. Look at your busy schedule. Where can you cut back? Sometimes, we aim to please others so we say “yes!” to every opportunity that is thrown our way. Take a minute to think about pleasing yourself. Did that extra commitment make you happier? Or did it further drain you. Think about saying no, and use the time you have freed up to specifically schedule an activity that is all about pampering yourself: a massage, a yoga class, a walk with your dog, or even just a Netflix session

I’m aiming to do better at this myself this week. Looking ahead at my schedule, I’ve made plans to go to bed an hour earlier at night and wake up an hour earlier in the morning. I’ll get a full 8 hours of sleep, and will use the extra time in the morning to eat a healthy breakfast, meditate, and awaken without being tied to my cell phone or laptop/

Treat others with love

Because it is Valentine’s Day on Friday, I’m sure there is a special person (or, many wonderful people) that you would like to show gratitude for this week. You don’t have to stress out—instead of aiming for a grand gesture, try some of these small but thoughtful ways of showing someone that you care:

Pick up the phone and call them. Let them know that they are on your mind.

Bring them a sweet treat. Baking is a wonderful way to unwind in the evening. If you have time, whip up a tray of your favorite snack and make extras to share.

Sweat together. Meet up with a friend at the gym. Challenge each other and laugh over your inability to understand some of the machines together (or is that just me?)

How do you plan on loving yourself and loving others this week? I’d love to hear some of your ideas.

I’m a student, a research consultant, a Zumba addict and recently minted instructor, a beginning runner, a lover of yoga, a fitness fashionista, a beauty-product junkie, and a voracious reader.You can read more here